In general, a coin processing device which receives and pays out coins (see Patent document 1, for example) is mounted on a vending machine, the mounted coin processing device being connected with the vending machine by harness.
The harness is configured by combining an electric power source line for the coin processing device to be supplied with electric power from a power source arranged in the vending machine and a communication line for communication between the coin processing device and a main control of the vending machine.
As shown above, between the vending machine and the coin processing device connected by harness, the vending machine regularly transmits a response command to the coin processing device via the harness, and the coin processing device transmits a response (information showing a current situation) to the response command. Besides, the coin processing device is operated based on a command transmitted from the vending machine.
By the way, the coin processing device sometimes faces an abnormal situation where coins cannot be received for any reason. In such a case, when the vending machine fails to receive any response from the coin processing device, the vending machine transmits a reset signal to the coin processing device, and the coin processing device which receives the reset signal is cut out from electric power supply from the vending machine, and then returns to the original state to be shifted to the initial operation.
Also, the coin processing device sometimes does not receive any coins even when the coin processing device can transmit a response to a response command from the vending machine. This case suggests the possibility where any malfunction is occurring in the coin processing device, or the vending machine is directing the coin processing device not to receive any coins due to any malfunction on the vending machine side such as abnormality of a goods sellout sensor of the vending machine or abnormality of an open/close sensor of the door of the vending machine, and thus, any confirmation operation should be performed by a person in charge of maintenance, etc. of the vending machine.
It is noted that, in the coin processing device which has received the reset signal, the value in the soft counter (see Patent document 2, for example) counting coins capable of being paid out is also initialized.